public defender

American  

noun

1. a lawyer appointed or elected by a city or county as a full-time, official defender to represent indigents in criminal cases at public expense.

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public defender British  

noun

1. (in the US) a lawyer engaged at public expense to represent indigent defendants

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public defender Cultural  

1. An attorney who is appointed and paid by a court to defend poor persons who cannot afford a lawyer.

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Etymology

Origin of public defender

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

County public defender’s office has not commented on the allegations.

From Los Angeles Times

Attorneys in each of the cases were informed, including the public defender’s office, according to a letter obtained by The Times from Sonoma County prosecutors to the public defender’s office.

From Los Angeles Times

Wilson, the public defender, described an outpouring of grief and anger in Australia that is "unprecedented, extraordinary and absolutely understandable".

From Barron's

The Los Angeles County public defender’s office declined to comment on her behalf.

From The Wall Street Journal

Before entering conservatorship, people are are provided a public defender and and every six months have an opportunity to contest their status and exit.

From Los Angeles Times